Highland Valley Copper Processing Circuit: Mine Life Extension

Highland Valley Copper (HVC) is Teck’s 100%-owned open-pit copper-molybdenum operation in British Columbia. Its concentrator uses multiple crushing and grinding lines, bulk flotation, regrinding and column cleaning to produce copper and molybdenum-bearing concentrate. This profile consolidates MillMatters’ overlapping HVC report pages and distinguishes the currently operating plant from the sanctioned Mine Life Extension (MLE) work that will extend the operation from 2028 to 2046.

Highland Valley Copper processing flowsheet

HVC is a large, multi-line concentrator built around operating flexibility. Ore from the Valley, Lornex, Bethlehem, Highmont and stockpile sources is crushed, distributed among the grinding lines, upgraded by bulk copper-molybdenum flotation and sent through separate high- and low-grade cleaning paths. The MLE retains that basic flowsheet while adding capacity, improving material handling and strengthening tailings and water infrastructure.

1. Primary crushing and material handling

Run-of-mine ore is reduced in primary gyratory crushers near the Valley pit and conveyed to three live stockpiles. The MLE plan includes relocation of Crushers 4 and 5 to the northeast side of the Valley pit around 2028, new overland conveyors L1A and L1B, proportional feeders, replacement of shiftable rockboxes and additional self-cleaning tramp-metal magnets. These changes are intended to improve feed distribution and protect downstream mills as mine haulage routes change.

2. Five grinding lines and tertiary grinding

Five grinding lines, identified as A through E, receive stockpile feed. Lines A, B and C use SAG mills followed by ball mills in closed circuit with cyclones. D line is being converted from autogenous grinding to a 10.5 MW SAG mill, while D and E share pebble crushing. This conversion gives the operation more control over hard or variable ore than the prior AG arrangement.

The MLE adds the C3 tertiary-grinding circuit: combined cyclone overflows from A, B and C secondary grinding feed a 12 MW ball mill in closed circuit with a dedicated cyclone cluster. Its product target is a P80 of approximately 226 µm before bulk flotation.

3. Bulk rougher-scavenger flotation

Ground slurry reports to three parallel bulk-flotation rows at a combined nominal rate of approximately 7,058 t/h. Each row contains seven 300 m³ forced-air cells. The first three cells operate as roughers, and the next four recover value from rougher tailings as scavengers. Collectors and frothers are added to float copper- and molybdenum-bearing sulphides; rougher/scavenger tailings form the final concentrator tailings stream.

Principal equipment and operating data

These values are design or planning values from the mine-life-extension technical record. They are not all current, sustained operating results.

Bulk flotation, regrinding and cleaning

The flotation circuit is designed to maintain recovery across a broad range of feed grades and mineral textures. High-grade rougher concentrate is upgraded through high-grade column flotation and conventional cleaner cells. Lower-grade scavenger concentrate and cleaner tailings are directed to a separate regrind and low-grade cleaning route.

The MLE expands fine regrinding with a 500 kW IsaMill M1000 operating alongside the existing regrind mill. Grinding to approximately P80 30 µm improves liberation of copper sulphides remaining in middling streams. Reground material is cleaned and then upgraded in low-grade columns. Concentrate from the high- and low-grade columns is combined to form the final bulk copper-molybdenum concentrate.

Tailings and water management

Final scavenger tailings are pumped to the Highland Tailings Storage Facility. The MLE includes replacement of scavenger-tailings pumps, a new tailings booster station, new or upgraded pipelines and relocation of reclaim barges. New sedimentation and surge ponds, together with a one-million-gallon tank for redirected sump feed, provide additional control during changing mine and mill conditions.

Water recovered from the tailings system and other process sources is returned to the concentrator. The technical-report design basis cites approximately 12,500 m³/h of reclaim water to the mill. This water system is central to HVC’s operating continuity, not simply a supporting service: grinding, flotation density control and tailings transport all depend on reliable recycle-water capacity.

Mine Life Extension status

Teck received the environmental assessment certificate and required permits in June 2025. Its board approved construction in July 2025 and construction began in August 2025. The project is a brownfield extension rather than a new standalone concentrator: it upgrades existing mine, mill, tailings and water infrastructure to continue HVC operations from 2028 through 2046.

Teck’s 2025 annual reporting describes detailed engineering as more than 80% complete and identifies 2026 MLE capital expenditure of approximately C$900 million to C$1.2 billion. Over the full extended mine life, Teck estimates average copper production of about 132,000 t/y. That annual metal-production figure should not be confused with mill throughput; copper output changes with ore grade and recovery even when the mill rate is stable.

How to read the throughput figures

These figures are compatible because they measure different things: equipment nameplate capacity, assumed availability, mine scheduling and contained-metal production. Treating them as a single operating rate would create a misleading comparison between report years.

Technical-report library and sources

Additional resources and industry links

• Teck: Highland Valley Copper Mine Life Extension Project
• Teck: HVC Mine Life Extension construction approval
• Teck 2025 Annual Report (PDF)
• Teck Q2 2026 results
• MillMatters: Grinding mills in mineral processing
• MillMatters: Hydrocyclones and classification
• MillMatters: Mine tailings management